When Minnesota was a new state, thousands of settlers arrived, many of them from Europe. But in recent decades, the state has attracted large numbers of Hmong and Somali refugees. There are also thousands of people from India, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Mexico and the People’s Republic of China living in Minnesota.
The state has become more racially diverse in the last 10 years, and demographers said that's especially true among children. About 83 percent of Minnesotans were white, non-Hispanic for the 2010 census, compared to 88 percent in 2000.
June 1, 1987 - MPR’s Tom Meersman reports on Refugee Remembrance Day, where former refugees gathered to participate in community event. The majority were Southeast Asians: Vietnamese, Cambodians, Hmong and Laotians.
September 18, 1987 - MPR’s Tom Meersman reports from Twin Cities International Airport as Northwest flight 128 arrives from Bangkok. Among its passengers are nearly three dozen Hmong refugees planning to resettle in Minnesota. Meersman speaks with officials about the difficulites to be faced…including housing, language, and jobs.
February 4, 1988 - Midday presents the documentary “Liberty's Children: A Celebration of Citizenship," produced by KLSE’s Carol Gunderson. The half-hour documentary profiles a Mayo Clinic medical student from Mexico and his struggle to become an American citizen. It also includes commentary from others on their experience in becoming a U.S. citizen.
May 11, 1988 - Older Southeast Asian refugees, specifically Cambodian, Lao, and Hmong find themselves struggling with a different culture environment after fleeing war and refugee camps. MPR’s Jim Bikal looks at some of the local efforts, including that at the Older Refugees Program, being made to support elders in the communities.
October 17, 1988 - Midday presents a special Mainstreet Radio documentary, entitled “Migrant Farm Workers.” The documentary profiles migrant farm workers in St. James who came to Minnesota, and wound up staying here. Following the documentary, Jose Trejo, executive director of the Spanish Speaking Affairs Council, answers listener questions about issues facing Hispanics in Minnesota.
January 1, 1990 - MPR’s Chris Roberts reports on issues revolving around ESL langauge learning in the Hmong community. Roberts interviews eductators and advocates on the reasons behind the language problem, and the challenges that result.
May 28, 1990 - This isn’t the first time the St. Paul City Council or the city’s voters have had to deal with the gay rights issue. Back in 1978 existing language in the city’s human rights code that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual preference was removed during a referendum on the issue. In 1988 voters turned town a charter amendment that would not have allowed human rights measures to be subject to initiative or referendum. Those opposed to that charter amendment said that it was an attempt to create a gay rights ordinance. This year council members will be asked to approve an amendment to the city’s human rights code that would ban discrimination against homosexuals in the areas of housing, employment, education, public services or public accommodation.
June 20, 1990 - This Midday program begins with an MPR documentary "Season of Discontent: Migrants in the Red River Valley", about migrant farm workers in the sugar beet fields of northwestern Minnesota, and relations between the workers and year-round residents. Reporters Dan Gunderson and John Biewen produced the half-hour documentary. Afterwards Midday host Bob Potter talks with Minnesota Human Rights Commissioner Stephen Cooper.
June 26, 1990 - Gays and lesbians in St. Paul have gone without legal protection from discrimination since 1978, when voters repealed homosexual rights legislation that had been in effect for four years. And though the new measure easily won the approval of a council majority the specter of that defeat was raised by council member Roger Goswitz’s lone dissent. The group Citizens Alert says it will collect the 5200 signatures needed to put the measure on a general election ballot, but may not do it this year.
July 5, 1990 - In 1987 the Twin Cities Archdiocese informed a group called “Dignity” that it could no longer lease space in the church-run Newman Center on the University of Minnesota campus.